Method of making fittings



M y 3 1938- c. H. CRAWLEY METHOD OF MAKING FITTINGS Original Filed March18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3nnentor CHARLES H- 678A W15) Gttorncgs May31, 1938. c. H. CRAWLEY 2,119,420

METHOD OF MAKING FITTINGS Original Filed March 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 211 'Hjj! 3maentor (l/ARIES fl- CRA Wlf) By %7 I r 20 4 (IttonicgsPatented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" METHOD OF MAKINGFITTINGS Charles H. Crawley, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to- Q TheWeatherhead Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio 3 Claims. (ores-157) This invention relates tomethods of making fluid conducting fittings such as are used inhydraulic brake systems for automobiles and particularly relates toa'method of making fittings which are adapted to conduct the brakeactuating fluid through a member of the frame of the car and at the sametime to form a connection between a metallic tube and a flexiblenon-metallic hose. This application is a division of my copendingapplication Serial No.

, 661,549, filed March 18, 1933 on which Patent Number 2,017,812 wasgranted October 15, 1935.

In hydraulic brake systems for automobiles it is customary to conductthe actuating fluid to various points on the frame adjacent thewheels bymeans of copper or steel tubes; and to make the connection to the brakeoperating cylinders carried by the wheels through flexible rubber hoses.In order to protect the copper tubes as much as possible, it isdesirable to run the tubes inside of the frame members where they areprotected from damage of any sort. In my aforesaid parent application Idisclosed and claimed a fitting or coupling member adapted to extendthrough a frame member of a motor car and to act as a connection betweenfluid conducting conduits on opposite sides of the member. The inventionclaimed herein relates to a method of making fittings of this type andit is among the objects of this invention to provide a method wherebysuch fittings can be manufactured rapidly and economically.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a method of makingone-piece fittings having spaced means for connection to parallel fluidconducting means such as a metallic tube and a flexible hose. Anotherobject is to provide a method of making such fittings from a mini-- mumamount of stock. Another object is to provide a method of making afitting adapted to extend through and be supported by a frame member andto form a fluid connection between a metal tube on one side of themember and a copper tube on the other. Another object is to provide amethod of making fittings having provision at one end thereof forconnection to a plurality of metallic tubes and at the other end thereoffor connection to a rubber hose. other object is to provide a method ofmaking a fluid connection between parailel axially spaced openings in aone-piece fitting.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent fromthe following description of preferred forms thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings. The

essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fitting madeaccording to my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3is a vertical section through the fitting illustrated in- Figs. 1 and 2;Fig. 4 illustrates a method for drilling an oblique passageway in thefitting; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a different type of fittingembodying my invention; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the fitting shownin Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the modified form of myfitting; Fig. 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of the chassis of anautomobile embodying a hydraulic brake system in which my fittings areemployed; Fig. 9 is an enlarged section showing one form of my fittingas it is' used on an automobile; Fig. 10 is a section illustrating anapplication of the other form of my fitting; and Fig. 11 is a sectiontaken along the line ll-ll of Fig. 10.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the fitting A may be formed from anextruded brass rod having the general shape illustrated in Fig. '1. Therod is cut to proper lengths to form fittings and thereafter thecylindrical hole 20 may be drilled through the upper part of the fittingto provide for a connection to a rubber hose. The faces of the fittingsurrounding the hole may be provided with circumferential grooves as at2] to make a fluid tight connection with a Washer. In the lower andthicker part of the fitting, I may form a copper tube connection whichpreferably comprises-a. threaded opening 22 having a conical seat 23,and a passageway 24 extending inwardly from the center of the conicalseat. This construction and the particular formation of the coupling arefully described in the Weatherhead Patent No. 1,733,925, and will not befurther discussed herein. 7

In order to make a fluid connection between the parallel openings 20 and22 and at the same time to preserve the solid exterior walls surroundingthe openings and thereby eliminate the necessity for plugs or similardevices, I employ the methoddiagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings, in which the fitting A is mounted upon a jig having asuitable support .25 and a rod 26 which extends. through the opening 20of the fitting. The rod 26 is provided with a hardened bushing 21 whichis adapted to guide a drill D at the correct angle to form a connectingpassageway 28 extending from the cylindrical opening 20 to thepassageway 24.

At any convenient stage of the manufacturing opening extendingoperation, the slots 23 can be milled or otherwise formedin the shank30. These slots are adapted to receive a resilient locking clip of thetype disclosed in the Baldwin Patent No. 1,875,209, issued August 30,1932, and which cooperates with the shoulders 3| to hold the fittingsecurely in place in the frame of an automobile.

It will be seen that there is no unnecessary waste of material in themanufacture of my fitting, and that the manufacturing operations arevery' simple and can be readily and rapidly carried out. By reason ofthe obliquely drilled passageway, it is possible to provide a fluidconnection between the parallel openings and also to make a one-piecefitting and to avoid the use of plugs or similar devices.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I have illustrated a modified form of fitting whichis adapted to make connection with three copper tubes and one .rubberhose. The upper portion of the fittingB is provided with an opening 20bsurrounded by circumferential grooves 2|b substantially similar totheconstruction of the upper portion of the fitting A. The lower portion ofthe fitting, however, is

provided with three copper tube connections two of which, indicated by35 and 36, extend parallel to the opening b and the third of which,indicated by 31, extends at right angles to the openings 35 and 36 andlies in a plane parallel to but spaced away from the plane of the axisof the opening 20b. The openings 35, 36 and 37 are provided with conicalseats 38,- 39 and 43, respectively, and passageways 4|, 42 and 43, re-

.spectively, extend from the centers of the cones to a central zone 44(see Fig. '7). A connecting passageway 45'extends obliquely from theopening 20b to thepassageway 42. The drilling operation may be carriedout by means of a jig similar to that shown in Fig.4. The shank 33b isprovided with'slots 23b and shoulders 3 lb so that the fitting mayreadily be secured in a frame by means of the clip illustrated in theaforesaid Baldwin patent.

It will be seen that the fitting can be readily formed with very littlewaste of material from a bar having the general section illustrated inFig. 7, by merely cutting off the bar to the proper length to form thefitting andthereafter carrying out the drilling and tapping operations.It is to be particularly notedthat the openings 35, 36 and 31 all extendin directions substantially perpendicular to the axisof the shank 3|b.By this arrangement, a most eflicient use is made of the stock in thebar and practicallyno material is wasted. Such .construction is madepossible by the obliquely drilled passageway 45 which permits of solidwalls surrounding the various openings and makes it unnecessary toprovide an directly toward the opening 20b.

In Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive,'I have illustrated the application ofmyfittings to a hydraulic brake system for an automobile. A connectionfrom the master brake cylinder M to the fitting B at the left front sideof the frame of the automobile may be made by means of a copper tubewhich,

as illustrated in Fig. 9, extends into the opening 31- on the top of thefitting B. From the fitting B, the actuating fluid is distributed by acopper tube 5| to the rear wheels of the vehicle, and by means of therubber hose 52, to the left front wheel. The copper tube 53 extendsforwardly from the fitting B along the inside of the frame to the frontcross member 54 and then along the inside of the right hand frame memberto the fitting A. There the fluid is passed through the frame throughthe passageway 23 to the rubber hose 55 which leads to the right frontwheel.

The copper tube may be connected to the fitting A, in the usual manner,by means of a nut 56 which clamps the flanged end 51 of the copper tubeagainst the conical seat 23. The connection between the fitting A andthe rubber hose may be made through a metallic coupling member 60 whichis provided with an internally threaded opening 6| and a conical seat32. This coupling is secured to the fitting A by means of a bolt 63having an inverted conical end surface 64, a recessed portion 65 whichpermits fluid to flow around the shankof the bolt and passageways 36 and61 leading from the recessed portion to the,

base of the conical surface 64. Washers 68 and 69 prevent leakage fromtaking place between the circumferential grooved surfaces 2| surroundingthe opening 20, the end of the coupling member 60, and the head of thebolt 33. i The connections between the copper tubes and the member B,and between the rubber hose 52 and the member B maybe made in the samemanner as that described with reference to the member A.

The fittings may be quickly and easily secured in openings in the frameby means of the arched resilient clips 10 which lie within the slots 23and 29b and hold the shoulders of the fittings against the interior ofthe frame members. These clips are made in accordance with thedisclosure of the Baldwin patent referred to above and will not bedescribed in detail herein.

From the foregoing description of preferred forms of my invention, itwill be seen that I have provided hydraulic brake fittings which; can beeasily and cheaply manufactured with a-mini-.

With my fittings, it is mum waste of material. possible to installthemetallic tubes of a hydraulic brake system within the frame of .theautomobile and to conduct the actuating fluid through. the frame bymeans of the'fittings and to support the hose connections from thefitting, thereby doing away with the necessity of brackets or othersupporting devices. My fitting can be quickly and easily secured tothe'frame' of an automobile and will make leak-proof joints with hosesand metallic tubes.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the that various changes andmodifications can be made in my invention without departing from thespirit thereof. The present specification discloses only preferredforms'of my invention and it is to be understood that the scope of mypatent is not limited by the description contained herein or in anymanner other than by the appended claims, when given the range ofequivalents to which they may beentitled.

I claim: Y

1. A method of making fittings including the steps of forming bar stockin T-shaped cross'section, cutting off the stock to form a blank havinga shank and an enlarged end portion, forming a recess in said enlargedend having an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of saidshank, forming a cylindrical opening in the other end of the shank andhaving an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the recess andperpendicular to the'shank, and drilling a communicating passagewaythrough said shank extending only from said opening to said recess.

2. A method of making fittings. comprising forming a blank having ashank and an enlarged end porti0n,,forming a plurality of recesses insaid enlarged end portion by drilling in directions substantiallyperpendicular to said shank, forming conical seats in each of saidrecesses and intersecting axial passageways extending through saidconical seats, forming a cylindrical opening through the other end ofsaid shank and in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto, anddrilling a communicating passageway obliquely through said shank andextending only from the inner surface of said cylindrical opening to oneof said axial passageways.

3. A method of making fittings including the steps of forming bar stockin Ii-shaped cross section, cutting 01! the stock to form a blank havinga shank and an enlarged end portion, forming a plurality of recesses insaid enlarged end, the axes of said recesses extending substantiallyperpendicular to said shank, forming a. cylindrical opening in the otherend of the shank and having an axis substantially perpendicular to theshank, and drilling a communicating passageway through said shankextending only from said opening to one of said recesses.

CHARLES H. CRAWLEY.

